Surah Hud Ayat 12 (11:12 Quran) With Tafsir

Ala-Maududi

(11:12) (O Messenger!) Let it not happen that you omit (to expound) a portion of what was revealed to you. And do not be distressed that they will say: ‘Why was a treasure not bestowed upon him?’ or ‘Why did no angel accompany him?’ For you are merely a warner, whereas Allah has control over everything.^[13]

13. In this verse, Allah has comforted and urged His Messenger (peace be upon him) to propagate the message without the least hesitation and not to waver in his determination for fear of ridicule or for lack of response from his people. He should convey the message in its entirety and leave the result to Allah for He has full power over everything. In order to grasp its full significance, we should keep in view the circumstances that necessitated it.

At the time of this revelation, the Quraish were the most powerful and influential of all the clans. As they were the guardians of the Kabah (Makkah), the religious center of the Arabs, they enjoyed religious, economic, and political superiority over the entit Arabia. Thus it was quite natural that they should resent and oppose that message which proclaimed: “The religion of which you are the leaders is absolutely false, and the system of life you are following is rotten to the core. As you are rejecting the message, torment of Allah is threatening you. The only way of escape from it is that you should accept the right way and the righteous system of life I have brought from Allah.” Obviously this message struck a hard blow at their superiority and therefore they were averse to it from the very beginning.

The second reason why they did not accept it was that the Messenger (peace be upon him) possessed nothing extraordinary to convince the people of his Prophethood except his pure character and his rational, and understandable message. Then for the Quraish, there was nothing to warrant a torment from Allah except the rotten condition of their religion, morality and culture. On the contrary, there was prosperity to delude them that that was a sure sign of the favors of Allah and of their gods and goddesses, which was a clear proof that the ways they were following were the right ways. The inevitable result was that only a small minority of those people, who had sound minds and hearts, accepted the message and the remaining large majority became hostile to it. Then some of them tried to suppress the message by persecutions and some did their worst to defame it by false accusations and frivolous objections and others resorted to calculated indifference to discourage it. There were still others who adopted an attitude of ridicule, derision, taunt and mockery in order to make light of it.

The above condition went on for many years and was liable to fill one with despair and discouragement. Therefore the Sovereign reassured His Messenger, as if to say, “We disapprove of these shallow, superficial and mean people, who are trying to make your mission a failure by their prejudice, indifference, ridicule, mockery and frivolous objections. You should go on following the right way with perseverance and courage: you should go on proclaiming the truth that has been revealed to you without the least hesitation: you should never be afraid of propagating the message for fear of ridicule or indifference: you should go on inculcating the truth in its entirety whether anyone accepts it or rejects it for it is Allah Who has everything in His power and charge and He alone affords guidance to everyone He considers fit for it.”

Ibn-Kathir

12. So perchance you may give up a part of what is revealed unto you, and that your breast feels straitened for it because they say, “Why has not a treasure been sent down unto him, or an angel come with him” But you are only a warner. And Allah is a Guardian over all things. 13. Or they say, “He forged it.” Say: “Bring you then ten forged Surahs like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah, if you speak the truth!” 14. If then they answer you not, know then that it is sent down with the knowledge of Allah and that there is no god besides Him! Will you then be Muslims

This statement of Allah, the Exalted, to His Messenger comforted the worries that the polytheists were causing him due to their statements directed towards him. This is just as Allah says about them,

(And they say: “Why does this Messenger eat food, and walk about in the markets. Why is not an angel sent down to him to be a warner with him” Or; “(why) has not a treasure been granted to him, or why has he not a garden whereof he may eat” And the wrongdoers say: “You follow none but a man bewitched.”) ﴿25:7-8﴾ Thus, Allah commanded His Messenger and guided him to not let these statements of theirs grieve his heart. Allah directed him to not let these statements prevent him, or deter him from calling them to Allah, both day and night. This is as Allah said,

(Indeed, We know that your breast is straitened at what they say.) ﴿15:97﴾ Allah says in this verse,

(So perchance you may give up a part of what is revealed unto you, and that your breast feels straitened for it because they say…) The meaning here is that he (the Prophet ) may be compelled to give up the Message due to what they (the polytheists) say about him. However, Allah goes on to explain: “You (Muhammad) are only a warner and you have an example in your brothers of the Messengers who came before you. For verily, the previous Messengers were rejected and harmed, yet they were patient until the help of Allah came to them.”

Then Allah, the Exalted, explains the miracle of the Qur’an, and that no one is able to produce its like, or even bring ten chapters, or one chapter like it. The reason for this is that the Speech of the Lord of all that exists is not like the speech of the created beings, just as His attributes are not like the attributes of the creation. Nothing resembles His existence. Exalted is He, the Most Holy, and the Sublime. There is no deity worthy of worship except He and there is no true Lord other than He. Then Allah goes on to say,

(If then they answer you not,) Meaning, that if they do not come with a reply to that which you have challenged them with (to the reproduction of ten chapters like the Qur’an), then know that it is due to their inability to do so. Know (that this is a proof) that this is the speech revealed from Allah. It contains His knowledge, His commands and His prohibitions. Then Allah continues by saying,

(and that there is no God besides Him! Will you then be Muslims)